Earth Day and horticulture: why PEATLESS is turning peat reduction into practical action

Earth Day is a moment to look at the environmental choices shaping our future. In horticulture, one of those choices is the continued use of peat.

Peat has long been valued as a growing factor because of its technical properties. But reducing dependence on peat is more and more common in the sector transition towards more sustainable production systems. That is where PEATLESS comes in.

This Earth Day is a timely moment to highlight the project work through the launch of our first communication campaign, #PEATLESSSpain.

La Rioja is central to this first communication wave. It is home to the project coordinator, CTICH, and it is where PEATLESS begins turning ambition into action through demonstration activities linked to mushrooms and seedlings. #PEATLESSSpain is specifically designed to introduce these demo activities, communicate early validation results, and engage growers and regional stakeholders with clear, evidence-based messages.

See how CTICH’s team is currently working on the ground in La Rioja:

Why does this matter?

Because the transition away from peat will only happen if it makes sense on the ground. PEATLESS is therefore built around demonstration, practical guidance and stakeholder engagement. In La Rioja alone, the project plans validation with growers, showcasing activities and capability-building sessions that help bring results closer to the people who can use them.

Earth Day also reminds us that no single project can address agricultural sustainability on its own. Peat reduction in horticulture is one important piece of the puzzle. Another is helping farming systems become more climate resilient and better equipped to adapt.

That broader transition is where OrganicClimateNET, another EU-funded project, offers a complementary perspective. While PEATLESS focuses on sustainable growing media in horticulture, OrganicClimateNET supports farmers across Europe in integrating organic climate farming through a pilot network of around 250 farms in 24 hubs across 12 countries. The project combines tools, peer learning, knowledge materials and policy-facing work to help farmers strengthen climate adaptation and mitigation in practice.

Different focus. Shared direction.

This Earth Day, PEATLESS is showing that the shift towards more sustainable horticulture must be credible, practical and visible. And it is only one part of a wider effort to make European agriculture more resilient.

Want to explore another Horizon Europe project working towards that transition? Visit OrganicClimateNET and see how organic climate farming is being tested and shared across Europe.